Maqonda Ndlovu
The 2023 Namibia Netball Premier League (NNPL) season is set to come to a thrilling conclusion this weekend.
The title is still up for grabs and three teams are still in with a shout to win the coveted trophy going into the final matches.
Namibia Correctional Service (NCS) currently lead the log with 36 points from 20 matches followed by the Namibian Navy (NN), who have 36 points from 21 games.
In third place is Mighty Gunners, who have 34 points from 21 matches.
NCS have one hand on the title as they need two points from two matches.
They also have a healthy goal difference (the highest in the league), meaning they have to lose by a ridiculous scoreline for either NN or Gunners to overtake them on the last day of the season.
NCS will play Young Stars in the first match of the day at the Khomasdal Netball Courts on Saturday morning, before playing the last match of the day against NN in what could be the deciding game, depending on the outcome of the first match.
Gunners will want to put pressure on NCS with a victory over Afrocat Lions in the third match of the day to keep their faint hope of retaining the trophy alive.
Other fixtures over the weekend will see the already-relegated Eleven Arrows, Northen Fly Ballers, Rebels, and Fatou bid farewell to the NNPL.
Ballers will play Rebels, while Eleven Arrows play Fatou, who have failed to register a single point this year.
Tigers and Young Stars will fight for pride as both teams are safe from relegation, and victory will not change their positions.
NN president Rebecca Goagoses told New Era Sport a prize-giving ceremony would be held after the matches to crown the champions.
She added that they are now looking forward to the playoffs to see who will be promoted to the NNPL next season.
Ten regional teams will fight it out for promotion at a date to be announced to determine who joins the league in 2024.
The end of the season also marks the end of the MTC’s N$4.8 million, three-year sponsorship deal, which was inked in 2021.
In terms of the standard of netball, Goagoses said it has improved tremendously over the past three years.
“We use this platform to select the national team players. The competition is fierce, and every player wants to be part of the national team. Everyone wants to be part of the NNPL,” she said.
Goagoses said the improvement was not only on the field of play but in other areas of the game like umpiring, table officiating, and administration in general.
She said NN has already made presentations to the principal sponsor, MTC with the aim of renewing the sponsorship. jrnmarko@gmail.com